Breathless at the Top – One Man’s Everest – Audio

It was my old friend Tiwari who threw down the challenge—to climb to Everest Base Camp—and I gleefully accepted. I made my booking last year through Himalayan Tours to take on the mighty peak. Determined to be fully prepared, I started training three months in advance. I swam for four hours a day and walked over 15 kilometers daily. In the process, I lost six kilos and became significantly fitter by the time the climb began.

By the 1st of May, I was ready for the fifteen-day trek. I had already decided to document my experience on my blog and made sure I had all the equipment I needed for the journey: a new walking stick, sleeping bag, rucksack, and climbing shoes. Everything was in place, and I was eagerly looking forward to the challenge.

The first day, however, was a disaster. I fell sick during the bus ride to Ramchek and threw up during a tea break. Thankfully, that was the only low point of the entire journey. The rest of the trek went fairly smoothly. The first three days of climbing were exhausting, but we had a rest day in between to acclimatize.

Along the way, I made some interesting friends. One was Awra, and the other was my roommate for the journey, Arun. I truly enjoyed our chats together. Due to my absentmindedness, I kept misplacing my trekking stick, but thankfully someone always managed to retrieve it for me.